


Merry Gentlemen

by Jay_eagle



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 23:30:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5517158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_eagle/pseuds/Jay_eagle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Happy Christmas to all the Skipthur shippers out there :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merry Gentlemen

“Come on Skip, _please_ , it’ll be so much fun!” Arthur looked pleadingly at Martin over his hot chocolate.

 

Martin sighed, wondering why it was that he always gave in to his partner’s puppy-dog eyes. “Oh, fine…” he muttered. “When do you want to go?”

 

Arthur bounced with excitement. “Hooray! I usually do it on Christmas Eve. I think we get back from Beijing on the 23rd, don’t we?”

 

Martin nodded, resigned to his fate. “Christmas Eve it is.” Arthur leant to kiss him, and Martin’s grumbly noises subsided slightly.

 

Accordingly, Martin rang the Knapp-Shappey’s doorbell on the 24th, bundled up in as many pairs of gloves, scarves and hats as he possessed. The temperature had plummeted, and he’d almost slipped on the ice coming up the garden path.

 

Arthur flung the door open, similarly encased in warm clothing. He beamed. “I’m so glad you’ve come!”

 

“Well, I agreed, didn’t I?” Martin tried his best not to sound too crotchety.

 

“Let’s go!” Arthur pulled the door closed behind him, and arm-in-arm they tramped round to his neighbours’ house.

 

Before they rang the bell, Martin hesitated. “How does this… work?”

 

Arthur looked stunned. “You’ve never gone carol singing before?”

 

Martin shook his head. “Nope.”

 

“Well, we ring the bell, and when they answer we sing them a song.” Arthur smiled encouragingly and wove his hand into Martin’s, the feel of his fingers blunted by their thick gloves, but comforting nonetheless. “It’s easy.”

 

“Which song?” Martin shuffled his feet, trying to keep warm.

 

“You choose – unless you want to start off with _Get Dressed You_ –“

 

“No!” Martin hastily interrupted. Arthur didn’t look crestfallen, just waited for Martin to pick. “How about _Away In A Manger_? I think I can remember that one.”

 

“Great!” Arthur rang the doorbell, accidentally knocking the extravagant wreath hanging from it askew. An elderly woman answered the ring, and beamed when she saw them.

 

“Hello, Arthur, dear.” She peered at Martin over her spectacles. “And who’s this?”

 

“This is my boyfriend, Martin!”

 

“How lovely –“

 

Before the woman could get any further, Arthur took a deep breath and launched into the carol, as off-key and inharmonious as always. His lack of self-consciousness gave Martin confidence, and though the captain started off rather tremulously, he soon lost himself in the familiar song; his voice soared over Arthur’s, the notes clear and pure in the evening air.

 

Martin didn’t realise until he got to the last line that Arthur had almost stopped singing and was instead listening to him, joining his neighbour in a spontaneous round of applause as Martin sang the final words. “Skip, you’re brilliant!” Arthur said, making Martin blush advent-candle-red.

 

“Your voice is beautiful,” the old lady said, appreciatively. “Happy Christmas to you both!”

 

“Th-thank you,” Martin stammered, and let Arthur drag him back down the garden path.

 

“I never knew you could sing like that!” Arthur was almost skipping.

 

“I don’t usually sing. Except occasionally with Douglas, I suppose.”

 

“We sang when we took the piano to Ottery St Mary… I guess I was too busy enjoying the song to realise how good your voice is.” Arthur’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Oh, you’re wonderful.”

 

Martin felt like he was glowing all over. “You really think so?”

 

Arthur pulled him into a hug and kissed his nose, making Martin blush again. “I do.” They wandered to the next house. “The neighbours are going to be so happy this year – normally by the end of my singing they look a bit… tired… but with you, they might even ask for an encore!”

 

“Oh, I don’t know about that…”

 

But Martin was shocked to discover that several of Arthur’s neighbours _did_ ask for more, and the two of them were clapped at every house and offered mince pies and sherry at several.

 

Still, the best part of the evening was when Martin was finally back in Arthur’s house, glancing up to see the mistletoe in the hall, Arthur stepping softly towards him.

 

“Thank you for tonight,” Arthur said.

 

“No, thank _you_ ,” Martin echoed, and meant it. “Mistletoe,” he added, hopefully, and Arthur got the happy, intense look in his eyes that he kept just for Martin.

 

“It is!” he agreed, and Martin’s heart burst into song as Arthur met him in a kiss.


End file.
